Restriction of BBC Radio HLS/DASH to authorised third parties

[Stream64]

The BBC has recently posted the following update on their Sounds 'Help' page:

'we will soon be restricting access to our radio streams to third parties that meet BBC requirements.'

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/help/questi...io-changes

I am guessing this will mean that MinimStreamer will no longer work with the BBC HLS streams from when this is implemented.

[simoncn]

Thanks for letting me know about this. I have sent an enquiry to the BBC to ask how MinimServer/MinimStreamer can be approved as an app that is allowed to continue accessing the BBC DASH and HLS streams.

[Ballingdon]

(28-08-2023 12:57)simoncn Wrote:  Thanks for letting me know about this. I have sent an enquiry to the BBC to ask how MinimServer/MinimStreamer can be approved as an app that is allowed to continue accessing the BBC DASH and HLS streams.

Found the following on the NAIM (audio equipment) forum website
https://community.naimaudio.com/t/bbc-ne...s/29554/48
>>
"Switch over to token only streams will start on 6th September and should be fully transitioned if all goes to plan by 29th. The old HLS BBC streams will gradually stop working during this time."
>>
So impact starts tomorrow (possibly).

[MDF]

Is minimstreamer likely to get 'tokens'? It will be very disappointing if having spent time setting all the BBC HLS streams up they now get stopped by the BBC, who oddly for a public service seem intent on find new ways to make it harder to listen to them. Minimstreamer is such a tidy solution.

[simoncn]

I will do everything possible to enable MinimStreamer to continue to be able to provide access to the BBC 320k MPEG-DASH and HLS streams. At this stage I don't know whether it will be possible for MinimStreamer to get a token or whether it will be possible to get access to the new streams in some other way.

I am very surprised at how quickly this is happening and how little advance notice has been given by the BBC to the user community and third-party applications that depend on having access to the current streams.

[Ballingdon]

(05-09-2023 16:50)simoncn Wrote:  I will do everything possible to enable MinimStreamer to continue to be able to provide access to the BBC 320k MPEG-DASH and HLS streams. At this stage I don't know whether it will be possible for MinimStreamer to get a token or whether it will be possible to get access to the new streams in some other way.

I am very surprised at how quickly this is happening and how little advance notice has been given by the BBC to the user community and third-party applications that depend on having access to the current streams.

I think it started in August 2019. I had just bought a NAD M10 streaming amplifier, with an embedded TuneIn radio tuner. The BBC announced, IIRC, that they needed stats to prove that they were meeting their public service commitments - so everyone would have to sign in to the BBC to access the streams. Apps like TuneIn couldn't provide the stats, so there was a threat that users of such tech would be left stranded. There was some protest. Now it looks like the BBC has found a better technical solution - in their eyes!

[MDF]

Thank you for looking into it Simon.

[Stream64]

The Naim forum linked above suggests the Non UK HLS streams may continue without the token requirement, in which case we would still be able to access the 96kbps AAC+v1 streams (which are marginally better than the quality on DAB and about the same as the quality of the main 4 network stations on Freeview). However there would be no UK protected content available to us as UK licence fee payers.

It doesn't sound good TBH; the BBC solution is aimed at websites with server side capacity which control access and have user data. There is no consideration of direct access to the high quality streams (which are what most of us want) by individual consumers.

To change UK URLs to Non-UK URLs you would need to change all URL mentions of 'uk/sbr_high' to 'nonuk/sbr_low'.

[simoncn]

Thanks for this. I have established contact with the BBC but their initial response does not seem hopeful. If anyone else can provide more information or suggestions, this would be very helpful.

[MDF]

It would be interesting to know how Naim have achieved it for their streamers?